Burn
by kaeh96
Summary: Third of a three-part story *please read "Crumble" and "Crash" before proceeding :)* This story is dedicated to all teenage sufferers of pediatric brain cancer
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: hey so this story doesn't make any sense unless you read "crumble" and "crash" first so yeah go ahead and check those out first please and thank you :)**

**I do not own Criminal Minds or Intelligence and/or their affiliates.**

* * *

_"__Who can see any hope for me?"_

_-Job 17:15_

* * *

_April, 2013_

"So…it…it's cancerous?" Riley Neal barely managed to get the words out.

Dr. Simmons studied her,

"We need to run a biopsy before we can be sure, but yes, the odds tell us that we're most likely dealing with a type of cancer called pineoblastoma. It's exceedingly rare and is pretty much only found in teenagers and young adults."

"For a biopsy, you need to remove the tumor, yes?" Amelia asked, her voice shaky.

"Yes, Riley needs to undergo surgery as soon as possible, and we will take out as much of the tumor-if not all of it-as we can. The surgery will take four to six hours, and recovery won't be pretty, but Riley will manage just fine, I'm sure."

"W-will I ever be able to dance again?" Riley felt a lump rise in her throat as tears started to stream down her cheeks.

Dr. Simmons sighed heavily out of grief for his young patient,

"Yes, eventually you will be able to dance again, however it is going to take a long time for you to be back to normal physically; whether or not you have cancer, the surgery recovery itself will take a while to bounce back from."

Riley eyed her mother, who, surprisingly, looked stronger. There was obvious grief on her face, yet she seemed to have this unexplained renewed hope in her daughter, as if she were going into a boxing match with the tumor where she knew she would win.

"Any other questions?" Dr. Simmons looked at both of them.

Riley looked at her mother, then both of them shook their heads.

"Alright, I'll get the neurosurgeon then we need to prep you for surgery."

* * *

"Five centimeters? Are you sure?" JJ's eyes widened as she imagined the huge tumor sitting in her cerebellum at that very moment.

"We'll know for sure once we take it out, but yes, we have images from every angle and considering the dimensions of your head, that is the closest estimate we have, and we're pretty accurate most of the time." Dr. Atlee responded confidently, when really he was crushed; he hated telling kids-especially young teenagers who were so eager about their lives ahead of them and understood nearly every piece of information given to them-that they had a serious abnormality within their body.

JJ looked up as if staring at her brain and brought her hand to her hairline where the tumor was,

"How long do you think it's been there?"

"Oh well at that size, no longer than two weeks. Since it's smallest size, probably five to six months."

"Is it cancer?" Sandy blurted out, as if she had been holding back, terrified to say the name of what every parent feared.

"We aren't positive but I have enough evidence to believe that yes, Jennifer has developed a type of cancer called medulloblastoma. It's very common in preteens and teenagers, and despite how aggressive it is, if we catch it early enough, it's extremely treatable-many kids are declared cancer-free months before they finish treatment." Dr. Atlee stared into Sandy Jareau's bright blue eyes, watching the expression in them go from uncertainty to horror to immense anxiety,

"She will be okay, we need to remove the tumor immediately and once that happens, her personality will return, and her headaches will ease, and eventually disappear once the incision heals."

Sandy sighed, her breath uneasy. Michael Jareau looked at his daughter,

"Say it is cancer, what stage do you think it's in?"

"Late stage three to mid stage four, so not too bad, but definitely not easy to treat; however for medulloblastoma that's very good-the tumor is so fast-growing that most of the time it isn't caught until mid to late stage four or even end stage, which is either nearly impossible or deadly to treat."

JJ knew about the stages of cancer, and she knew that Dr. Atlee was being hopeful-stage four was always awful, and many times considered the kiss of death. However she knew better than to protest, and she also knew that she had to remain strong for her mother. Dr. Atlee announced that he was going to consult the surgery department to get a neurosurgeon, and that he would be back soon.

"JJ, I need you to be honest with me," Michael worked to meet JJ's wandering eyes, "are you scared?"

JJ took a deep breath and thought about the question. On one hand, she wasn't sure, because she knew the surgery would be painful and that stage four cancer was bad, and on the other she wasn't because she knew she was in good hands and that people beat cancer all the time, and that her odds were high considering how common medulloblastoma was. Then there was the fact that no one was even sure she had cancer yet.

"Yes and no, but mostly no. I mean I'm in good hands and Dr. Atlee said it's really common and treatable, and the surgeons and doctors here are all really good so….not really."

Michael nodded,

"Good, and that's understandable. You're gonna be just fine, I promise, and we always keep our promises."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey all! Wow..._really_ long time no talk! I've been incredibly busy with not just school but my social life! I've graduated high school and have already started getting everything together for university (or as we Americans call it "college") in the fall! I'll be updating on soooo many things from here on out for the next couple months, so no worries, I'm not gonna be disappearing on y'all anytime soon :). Happy reading!**

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_"__You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only option"_

_-Unknown_

* * *

Riley held her breath as the nurse finished inserting her IV in her hand and helped her adjust her pillows. When she made sure Riley didn't need anything else, she left Riley and the other girl in the room to themselves. Riley took a moment to look around the huge double room, and started to gaze out the window, taking in the early hours of sunset. Her thoughts were interrupted by the other girl,

"Hey, I saw you walking down the hallway."

"Oh, yeah I think I saw you out of the corner of my eye." Riley gave the pretty blonde a soft smile.

"I'm JJ, what's your name?"

"Riley."

JJ smiled,

"What are you in for?"

"A misdiagnosed cyst on my pineal gland that has now quadrupled in size."

"Jeeze, that's crazy. So it's what…three centimeters?"

"Four."

JJ's eyebrows raised,

"I have a tumor in my cerebellum-that's at the back of your head-that's five centimeters in diameter, my doc is pretty damn sure it's cancer."

"I'm sorry, mine says the same thing." Riley felt a lump form in her throat-it was different hearing someone on her level say they were sure they had cancer, rather than her parents or her doctor.

"How old are you?" JJ asked lightly.

"Fourteen, you?"

"Sixteen."

Riley sighed,

"You know, people never think of teenagers getting cancer, it's always either old people or really little kids, you know?"

JJ nodded,

"It's pretty uncommon for kids our age to get cancer…but it happens. It is crazy to think about and it is _so_ not fair."

"Right?" Riley agreed.

"When's your surgery?" JJ looked into Riley's wide blue eyes that matched her own set.

"Tonight, around 8. How about you?"

"Same, maybe a little later, closer to 8:30."

Riley leaned back,

"I can't believe this is actually happening…and it explains so much that's been happening over the last few months, and I totally forgot that I actually had a growth in my brain…I feel kind of stupid."

"It isn't your fault, your doctor told you it was most likely safe, I mean I know about pineal cysts; 2% of the American population has them and knows that they have them and they're found in 45% of autopsies…it's incredibly rare that they turn cancerous. You had no reason to worry or think about it, I mean sure I've heard about neuroblastomas but I never in a million years thought that I would actually have one."

Riley nodded in agreement, but suddenly her eyes widened as she seemingly remembered something important,

"Oh, I'm sorry, I have to make a phone call really quick, I still have to tell…someone about this."

JJ nodded and turned away from Riley, deciding that she already like the sweet girl and hoped they could become friends.

JJ thought about how she would like to spend her recovery and possible treatment with Riley; the younger brunette was quiet but she was sweet and personable, and JJ really thought they would get along well.

_'__Maybe having someone like her with me would make everything less scary…'_

JJ's thoughts were interrupted when Riley spoke up again,

"I am…so sorry, that was my boyfriend, I just wanted to give him an update."

"It's fine, really." JJ let a smile light up her face.

"Oh wow, it's already 7:39, I wonder where our parents are." Riley remarked.

JJ shrugged, but then in came her mom and dad and a tall woman whom she assumed was Riley's mother.

"Hi sweetie, the doctor just met with us and said she'll be in in a few minutes to prep you for surgery." Sandy Jareau said as she walked up to JJ's bed and leaned over her daughter.

"JJ, this is my mom." Riley said across to the Jareaus.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Michael said and introduced himself, the two other Jareaus following suit.

Just a few moments later, the three parents were being escorted to the OR waiting room by a nurse, and Riley and JJ gave each other last comforting words as their own surgeons came in and prepped them for surgery.

'_Here goes nothing.'_

* * *

In the waiting room, Sandy gripped Michael's hand as her heart began to pound harder with each passing moment. Mrs. Neal had sat next to them, but she was silent, with her head resting in her hands as her elbows were propped up on her knees.

Michaeld brought Sandy's hand up and gave it a light kiss,

"She'll be fine-she's our fighter and those doctors are taking good care of her and Riley. They'll be out before we know it."

As each hour ticked, the three adults felt themselves experiencing various feelings. For the first hour it was nervousness, the second boredom, the third fear, and the fourth anticipation. For the fifth and final hour for each of the girls, their parents were on edge, waiting for their child's surgeon to walk through the doors with a light expression-maybe even a smile-anticipating the best news possible. Each hour was accompanied by an underlining anxiety that Sandy figured she should get used to.

Finally, Sandy and Michael perked up as JJ's neurosurgeon came in to the waiting room,

"She did great-the surgery had no complications, and she'll make a good recovery."

Sandy breathed a sigh of relief,

"When can we see her?"

"A nurse will be in in a few minutes to take you back to her room."

"Thanks doc." Michael smiled and gave a curt nod.

Amelia Neal sat up a little straighter, her eyes darting from the Jareaus to the door that led into the OR's.

"Riley will be done soon, I know it." Sandy told Amelia with a light smile.

Three minutes passed when Riley's own doctor finally walked in, giving Amelia near-identical news that the Jareaus had received.

Their girls had made it through the first big test of their long journey.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry it's been so long! If you're a CM fan and you're enjoying this story, go check out my other story related to pediatric cancer called "Don't Forget To Remember Me"! :)**

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_"__Courage may be the most important of all virtues, because without it one cannot practice any other virtue with consistence."_

_-Maya Angelou_

* * *

Riley woke first.

Her eyelashes lightly fluttered until her eyes were wide open, the hospital lights glaring down on her. She felt a sharp pain in her head, and nearly brought her hand to it, until her mother noticed her stirring, and the shot of pain quickly faded.

"Hi sweetie, how are you?"

Riley quickly assessed herself in her head,

"Well, my head feels….different, it doesn't hurt but it's weird, and I'm a little thirsty. Other than that, I'm alright I guess."

Amelia hit the button for a nurse, listening to her daughter's wishes.

"Okay, someone will be in here shortly."

Riley looked across the room at Michael and Sandy, who were still sitting around their daughter's hospital bed.

"Has JJ woken up yet? Who came out of surgery first?"

Amelia brought a gentle hand to Riley's forehead,

"No love, she hasn't. And she came out first, but you weren't far behind. It's okay, everything will happen in time; both of you had very successful procedures with minimal damage, so don't worry, she'll wake up sooner than you think."

"Hi Riley, how are you?" Riley's neurosurgeon, Dr. Henderson asked as the nurse checked her vitals.

"I'm okay; a little dizzy, I keep getting sharp waves of pain in my head, and I'm kind of thirsty, but aside from that I feel good."

"Well those are all normal responses, and they're pretty easy to fix. Nurse, will you please get Ms. Neal and her mother some water?"

He brought out a flashlight and had Riley follow it,

"You know Riley, I was saying to your mom-before you woke up-what I was telling you right after we got you on the table; our original plan with most pineoblastomas is to go in endoscopically through the nose, but because your tumor is larger, we had to go in through your skull. Now, luckily there was minimal damage, and you sailed through like a champ-and hey, you can add 'survived open-brain surgery' to your list of life accomplishments."

Riley chuckled as he winked at her.

"Alright Ms. Neal, I want you to watch for headaches, vomiting, and disorientation. Riley is going to be sore as her incision heals, and it's going to take awhile. We've put in the biopsy and we should get the results in a few days, and I'll come to you as soon as we know what's up. For now, Riley needs both physical and mental rest more than anything." He paused, and looked at both of them,

"You should prepare yourselves, because you aren't exactly the best case scenario, and even the best case scenario is a rough situation. Don't stress about Jennifer-she'll wake up soon enough. Just try to relax while you can, you're going to need all the strength you can gather. If you need me, just have a nurse page me and I'll be here right away. Any questions?"

Riley felt her eyes widen as he went on and on, holding onto every word. She exchanged a glance between her mother, then Dr. Henderson,

"Uh, no, thank you. Mom, do you have any…uh."

Amelia took a moment, eyeing her daughter, then shook her head.

"Alright, I'll have a nurse check in periodically, and I'll see you soon."

"Thank you, doctor."

Amelia and Riley shook his hand, then watched as he swept past the Jareaus and out the door, disappearing from their sight in just seconds.

"Alright baby, you get some sleep. I'll let you know if JJ wakes up, okay?"

Riley nodded, half wanting to stay up, but her body was fighting her, and she ended up losing the battle to sleep.

* * *

"M-mom? Wha-"

Sandy and Michael looked down at their daughter, relief washing over them. Sandy responded first,

"Oh JJ! Hi love, your surgery went fine, they got everything out and sent the tumor to the lab."

"My surg-lab…can I go home?"

"No, honey you just had surgery, you need to be in the hospital."

Michael remembered how the doctor told them JJ would be disorientated for some time, maybe even a couple days.

Sandy looked over at the Neals to find Amelia asleep in the chair next to Riley's bed, while Riley was turned away from them. She walked over to the bed and carefully tapped Riley on the arm.

"Riley, JJ woke up, I just thought you should know. Your mom fell asleep."

"Oh, great. How is she?" Riley turned around and looked at her friend, eying her as she made rambling conversation with Michael.

"Well, she's dazed and confused, and probably will be for a few days. You just get some rest, she'll get better soon."

Riley nodded, and turned back onto her pillow. She prayed JJ would come back to being herself soon, and that she didn't suffer a lot of damage. She needed to stick by JJ, and decided that she would help Sandy and Michael as much as she could until JJ was fully awake again.

'_I don't just need her anymore…we need each other. We're in this, together.'_

As Riley drifted back off, she thought of the months ahead of them, and made a vow to herself that she wouldn't let JJ lose, no matter what happened.


End file.
